Telltale odometer

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to automobile odometers and, more particularly, to odometers which are generally mounted in or adjacent to the automobile speedometer in the instrument panel, and having an indicator associated therewith that is readily visible to the viewer through a window or opening in the automobile instrument panel. An indication will be conveyed to a viewer that the numbered wheels of the odometer have each in sequence turned at least one complete revolution. More specifically, the odometer includes an additional wheel adjacent the highest numbered indicating wheel and marked in a manner to readily show that the numbered wheels on the odometer have turned one complete revolution.

United States Patent 3/1925 Whittington 1,610,639 12/1926 Whittington1,708,708 4/1929 Tibbetts ABSTRACT: The invention relates to automobileodometers and, more particularly, to odometers which are generallymounted in or adjacent to the automobile speedometer in the instrumentpanel, and having an indicator associated therewith that is readilyvisible to the viewer through a window or opening in the automobileinstrument panel. An indication will be conveyed to a viewer that thenumbered wheels of the odometer have each in sequence turned at leastone complete revolution. More specifically, the odometer includes anadditional wheel adjacent the highest numbered indicating wheel andmarked in a manner to readily show that the numbered wheels on theodometer have turned one complete revolution.

TELLTALE ODOMETER Automobile odometers presently in use do not have anindicating member to show that the highest-order number wheel has madeat least one complete revolution. Therefore, it has been easy for anyonedesirous of tampering with an odometer to turn the odometer through andpast the highest-order number wheel reading to recycle the odometer to azero reading. Without some way of knowing that the odometer has passedthrough the highest order of digits or highest reading for which it wasdesigned, the viewer would not be aware of the actual number of milesdriven. With the present invention, the odometer would readily indicate,and it would be apparent to the viewer, that the odometer had turnedthrough the highest possible reading, which in most cases is 100,000miles, as well as the number of times it has done so.

1n the drawings:

F1G. 1 shows an odometer mounted in an instrument panel with theindicator showing less than the maximum reading;

FIG. 2 is a similar view to that shown in FIG. 1 with the odometershowing the start of a second sequence and the indicator showing thatthe odometer has been turned past the maximum reading;

FIG. 3 shows the odometer assembly with the telltale indicating wheelhaving a plurality of different color areas thereon; and

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention with the telltalewheel below the odometer.

This invention is assembled on an odometer to function with anantireverse device shown in application Ser. No. 749,798 now US. Pat.No. 3,516,603 and an antipick device, shown in application Ser. No.776,371, now US. Pat. No. 3,482,773. The antireverse device prevents theodometer from being reversed by driving the odometer in a reversedirection by means of a high-speed motor or the like to indicate adifferent mileage reading than that actually driven. The antipick deviceprovides an indication that the numbered wheels on the odometer had beenmoved by means of lock picks, etc., inserted through the odometer case.It is understood that the antipick feature will be assembled and used onthe telltale wheel to prevent picking and reversal of the wheel.

With the above two devices installed on an odometer, the only directionin which it is possible to change the odometer readings or effectivelytamper with the odometer would be in the forward direction. The presentinvention, when installed on an odometer, should effectively precludeturning the odometer in the forward direction to change odometer mileagereadings because it will provide an indication to the viewer that theodometer has gone through its maximum reading for which it was designedand how many times, to therefore indicate actual mileage driven.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a cutaway section of a speedometer which isnormally mounted in the instrument panel of an automobile and generallyhas an associated odometer 11 mounted below or adjacent thereto. Themounting of the speedometer and odometer are well known in the art, asshown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,447 to Helgeby. Odometer 11 includes aplurality of numbered wheels 12 mounted on a shaft with the odometerwheels being driven in the conventional manner by drive gear 22 throughpinion gears as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,137,444 to Harada.

A complementary cylindrical wheel, more generally noted or described asa telltale wheel 14, is coaxially mounted on shaft 20 adjacent to and onthe outward side of the numbered wheel of the highest-order digit.Telltale wheel 14 is driven through a pinion gear by the highest-ordernumber wheel in the same manner as each of the respective numberedwheels. There is a viewing window or similar arrangement as shown at 15in the instrument panel, or the odometer mounting itself, where theviewer or driver of the automobile can readily note any color changethat occurs in the window because of the movement of the complementarycylindrical wheel or telltale wheel. The color of the telltale wheel mayinitially be of any color 16 such as red, green, or the like, and whenthe telltale wheel is rotated from its initial color as viewed in window15 a second different color will appear in the window and become visibleto the viewer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the numbered wheels on the odometer and,specifically, the highest-order numbered wheel, has made one completerevolution and the odometer has, therefore, turned through 100,000miles, the maximum mileage for which it was designed. It is understoodthat a higher total mileage reading could be obtained by the addition ofmore numbered wheels. As shown at 18, a different color than that shownat 16 in FIG. 1 is visible in the indicating window, giving anindication or telltale signal to the viewer that all the numbered wheelson the odometer have made at least one complete revolution and,therefore, the automobile has traveled a distance greater than 100,000miles.

FIG. 3 more clearly shows the complementary telltale wheel adjacent thehighest-order numbered wheel and having thereon several differentpossible color sections or color schemes as, for example, thoseillustrated at 16, 17, 18, and 19 thereon.

Color sections or schemes as shown at 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be used onthe telltale wheel in an alternate arrangement wherein a known sequencecolor code would indicate to the viewer the number of times up to tenthat the odometer has gone through its maximum reading. As an example,the initial color may be red, the next color green, the third color redstripes, etc., which would indicate one, two, three or more completerevolutions of the odometer up to 10 before the sequence starts again.After the odometer has gone through the maximum reading ten times, thesequence will start over again. By this time the odometer or the vehiclewill have outlived its useful life. The different color schemes orarrangements on the telltale wheel should be located and coincide to thedistance the wheel is driven by the highest-order number wheel to ensurea color change in the window. The color section appearing in the windowat a given time will remain in the viewing window until such time as thehighest-order digit adjacent to the telltale wheel makes a completerevolution, after which the next color will be visible in the window.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the telltale wheel. The highest-ordernumbered wheel has a drive member 32 in contact with a driven member 34on the telltale wheel mounted on a separate shaft from that of thenumbered wheels. When the highest-ordered numbered wheel makes onecomplete revolution, which would mean that the odometer has turned100,000 miles, it will turn the telltale wheel 26, whereby a differentcolor 30 from the color 28 will be viewed in the window 24. Drive member32 is arranged on the telltale wheel 26 to move the telltale wheel fromthe unmoved to the moved position through driven member 34 where thesecond color will thereafter remain in the window. It is furtherunderstood that the telltale wheel 26 could be weighted in such a mannerso that once moved or rotated, the weight would retain the wheel in themoved position, generally from the initial position, with the drivenmember 34 positioned out of a driving relationship with drive member 32.

The invention is a novel means of providing odometers, after very slightmodification, with the means of indicating the the odometer has turnedthrough 100,000 miles. By use of the invention, it will not be possibleto change the mileage through the 100,000 mile reading withoutindicating to the viewer that this has been done at least one time.

lclaim:

1, In combination: an odometer on a vehicle having an array ofcylindrical coaxial number wheels interconnected to rotate stepwise indigital counting action and in sequence to indicate numerically thecumulative vehicle travel up to a predetermined total, a window, amovable telltale indicator having a face in registration with saidwindow, said face having one visible surface treatment in an initialunmoved position and a dif ferent surface treatment when moved,interengaging drive elements, said interengaging drive elementsincluding a drive arm on the outward side of said highest-order numberwheel, and a driven arm on said telltale indicator, wherein the drivearm acts on the driven arm to move the telltale indicator from saidinitial unmoved position to a different position when the number wheelfor the highest order of digits completes a full rotation, the driveelements thereafter disengage to discontinue rotation of the telltaleindicator, thereby displaying a different surface treatment from thatinitially seen through said window to provide an indication that all thenumber wheels on the odometer had turned through at least one completerevolution.

2. In combination: an odometer on a vehicle having an array ofcylindrical coaxial number wheels interconnected to rotate stepwise indigital counting action and in sequence to indicate numerically thecumulative vehicle travel up to a predetermined total, a window, amovable telltale indicator having a face in registration with saidwindow, said face having one visible surface treatment in an initialunmoved position, and a dif ferent surface treatment when moved,interengaging drive elements, said interengaging drive elementsincluding a drive arm on the outward side of said highest-order numberwheel, and a driven arm on said telltale indicator, said telltaleindicator being weighted adjacent the driven arm, wherein said drive armacts on the driven arm to move the telltale indicator from said initialunmoved position to a different position when the number wheel for thehighest order of digits completes a full rotation, as said telltaleindicator is moved by the interengaging drive elements out of view ofsaid window, the telltale indicator by action of the weighted portionthereof, will cause the telltale indicator to rotate out of reach ofsaid drive arm, thereby displaying a different surface treatment fromthat initially seen through said window to provide an indication thatall the number wheels on the odometer had turned through at least onecomplete revolution.

1. In combination: an odometer on a vehicle having an array ofcylindrical coaxial number wheels interconnected to rotate stepwise indigital counting action and in sequence to indicate numerically thecumulative vehicle travel up to a predetermined total, a window, amovable telltale indicator having a face in registration with saidwindow, said face having one visible surface treatment in an initialunmoved position and a different surface treatment when moved,interengaging drive elements, said interengaging drive elementsincluding a drive arm on the outward side of said highest-order numberwheel, and a driven arm on said telltale indicator, wherein the drivearm acts on the driven arm to move the telltale indicator from saidinitial unmoved position to a different position when the number wheelfor the highest order of digits completes a full rotation, the driveelements thereafter disengage to discontinue rotation of the telltaleindicator, thereby displaying a different surface treatment from thatinitially seen through said window to provide an indication that all thenumber wheels on the odometer had turned through at least one completerevolution.
 2. In combination: an odometer on a vehicle having an arrayof cylindrical coaxial number wheels interconnected to rotate stepwisein digital counting action and in sequence to indicate numerically thecumulative vehicle travel up to a predetermined total, a window, amovable telltale indicator having a face in registration with saidwindow, said face having one visible surface treatment in an initialunmoved position, and a different surface treatment when moved,interengaging drive elements, said interengaging drive elementsincluding a drive arm on the outward side of said highest-order numberwheel, and a driven arm on said telltale indicator, said telltaleindicator being weighted adjacent the driven arm, wherein said drive armacts on the driven arm to move the telltale indicator from said initialunmoved position to a different position when the number wheel for thehighest order of digits completes a full rotation, as said telltaleindicator is moved by the interengaging drive elements out of view ofsaid window, the telltale indicator by action of the weighted portionthereof, will cause the telltale indicator to rotate out of reach ofsaid drive arm, thereby displaying a different surface treatment fromthat initially seen through said window to provide an indication thatall the number wheels on the odometer had turned through at least onecomplete revolution.